Possibilities
by onlysmokeandmirrorstome
Summary: Sami Zayn is out of action until 2016. He's on the road to recovery and while he has plenty of support from his friends at the performance center, he still feels depressed about his situation. But when he meets his physical therapist though he starts to see things in a better light. Thing is, she also has some baggage of her own. Sami/OC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have done my research on the shoulder surgery & physical therapy but I'm not a doctor so if anything is inaccurate my apologies. Hopefully you enjoy the story! Let me know!

/

Sami isn't usually one to complain - especially about menial things - but _wow_ he hates this sling. After two months straight of wearing it all he wants to do is tear it off, shoulder be damned. But he knows he needs to follow doctor's orders or his chances of getting back into the ring are going to plummet. Its what keeps him going. The doctor okayed him to run and so every morning after reminding himself he needs to stay in shape for not if, but when, he returns to action, he gets up and goes jogging.

He tries his best not to time himself. He takes his usual route around his neighborhood then down to the bike/jogging path not too far from his apartment complex. Sami's music blares in his ears egging him to keep going even though his muscles ache. He's becoming accustomed to sitting on his couch.

He hates it.

This feeling of uselessness. He should be the ring, he should be at the performance center _right now_ with the early risers like Bayley, Charlotte and Finn.

But no. Sami is stuck where he is. The only thing that will help him heal is time.

Although, later today he starts physical therapy which will help to not only move the process along but see how much damage was really done. He does his best not to think about that last part.

He can only think of progressing. He can't think of not wrestling, not doing the thing he loves the most, sitting in a nearly empty apartment save for his dog-

Sami turns his music up louder to drown out the thoughts.

/

"Hey man whats goin' on?" Enzo is enthusiastic as ever to see him walk through the performance center doors, having just gotten back from a break himself. "You supposed to being walkin' around without your sling, man?"

Sami gives him a one-shoulder shrug. "I have to take it off to drive but I'm about to get some physical therapy so I left it in the car. Not much can be done if I'm wearing it."

"Glad ta see you here though. Gets pretty borin' without a little ginger in the mix."

That earns a chuckle from him. "I thought that meant I don't have a soul?"

Enzo scoffs. "Soul, schmoul. Whateva. As long as you bring some awesome beats ta listen to here I don't care if ya got tar in ya instead of a soul. Speakin' of, you bring your iPod? Any new stuff?"

Never one to disappoint his friends Sami pulls it out of his back pocket. He hands it and jokes, "Be careful it was in my back pocket while I went on my run this morning. Could still be sweaty."

Enzo makes a show out of pretending to gag while holding it out as far as he can reach. Even with things looking so glum right now the man still knows how to make Sami laugh.

The red head checks his watch. "I got to get going to the medical office. Have a good work out, 'Zo."

"Hell yeah."

Sami is cheerfully greeted by many others while walking through the halls. Even though he might not be here every day anymore he's still part of the group and he's glad they do their best to make him feel included. He's still invited for friendly dinner outings (although they're few and far between, everyone has been very busy) and Bayley has made sure to pencil a couple visits into her busy schedule to see how he's holding up. She always brings nutella as a gift so he really can't complain.

He stops on his way, having a conversation with the best bringer-of-gifts Bayley when someone slams into him as they're passing in the hall. Thankfully its his good shoulder but it still jerks his bad one, causing him to hiss in pain.

"C'mon man, watch it," Sami says.

He only catches a glimpse of the man as he continues on without but a word but it isn't someone he's ever seen before. Sandy blonde hair, an angry expression on his face. Not someone Sami is going to get an apology from anytime soon it appears.

"What was _his_ deal?" Bayley huffs apparently upset on his behalf.

"Dunno. Guess he's not Dropkick Murphy's fan or something," Sami responds giving a pointed glance to his band t-shirt.

"So can I come visit my favorite puppy dog tonight? I'll even bring you more nutella to bribe you if I have to."

Giving a cartoonishly heavy sigh, he says, "I suppose. But don't even think about giving him more dog treats. He's gained more weight than I have."

Sami barely makes it on time but when he enters the office the head physician, Craig, is standing there with someone he doesn't recognize. He waves him over and gives a quick introduction, "Sami, this is Anika. She'll be helping you with your physical therapy."

Sami gives her a quick once over as Craig leaves them be. He wouldn't mind staring at her for one hour a day, at the very least. Long black hair, pale, wearing black glasses and has a nice smile. He silently thanks whoever hired her.

"Nice to meet you. Fan of your work," She says politely, holding out a hand. She then gives him a confused look. "You're out of your sling?"

"Um, yeah."

"Thats good. I'm not sure if you knew it or not but when you begin physical therapy there isn't much point in wearing it. If its comfortable for you still its okay, but it may be counterproductive after a certain point." She stops for a beat then queries, "Do you prefer Sami or should I be more formal? Sorry, kind of new here."

"Sami is fine."

"Okay Sami, follow me. Hopefully, I'm not so new I've forgotten where the equipment is at. Can't have you lifting brooms in a closet."

He smiles, following her. When they begin his actual therapy he immediately wishes he were back in his sling. The pain isn't so horrible that it has to stop, but his shoulder isn't used to moving. And all theyr'e doing is having him stretch it.

"Don't do it past your comfort point. You don't have a quota to reach," Anika is quick to remind him, seeing the flashes of pain in his face. "And if you're trying to hide the pain from me you should know I've had grown men cry in front of me before. So I'm not judging you for more than forgetting to put on deodorant this morning."

Sami stops where he stands and sniffs under his arm. "Oh god, my bad. Woo. I swear I took a shower this morning."

Anika laughs and moves a step away. "I'll just stop standing down wind."

"If we could stop for a minute that'd be great."

"Sure, I'm not in any hurry. We're almost done so maybe one more stretch after this."

When he sits down in a chair nearby Sami hears a very familiar theme fill the empty air - its Mankinds theme "schizophrenic".

"Guess you are a fan," He says, trying his best not to massage his shoulder since it never really helps.

The woman doesn't reply. She seems suddenly distracted, pulling out her phone to then put it on silent. With a forced smile she says, "It was unprofessional of me to pull out my phone. Sorry, I thought I had it on silent."

"Its no problem. I'm going to assume you have a social life outside of these walls. Unless they herd the staff into the basement after hours."

Anika takes a seat next to him and wraps her long hair into a ponytail. He notes that her leg keeps bouncing up and down very quickly - a sign of anxiety."Yeah I wasn't told that was part of the deal when I signed on. But thankfully I have my own cot and everything."

"So you said you're new here? Where were you before?" Sami asks, trying to keep a conversation going. She seems grateful for a conversation, her nervous leg slowing down.

"Kentucky. I moved here a year ago which should probably mean I'm not new, but I haven't gone out much. I'm happy I got this job though, everyone has been really nice so far."

"You haven't gone out much? What, did you get mono or something?"

Anika starts wringing her hands and shrugs. "Just . . . haven't, I guess."

His friendliness gets the best of him and before he can even think about it Sami offers, "You could come over tonight."

The young woman looks rather shocked at this. Sami is about to backtrack and fast when she replies, "I, um, can't. I have something tonight with family. But maybe another time?"

Its unexpected but when she smiles up at him he can feel his heart starting to beat faster.

Oh no, oh no. Not now. Not when he's trying to focus on getting back in the ring, not when he's honestly in a slump where his day-to-day is depressing him. A sudden crush is not what he needs.

He realizes he's taken far too long to answer he and stumbles, "Yeah, yeah, sure. So should we get that last stretch in so I can collapse on the floor in pain?"

"If you don't cry by the end of this session I'll be sorely disappointed."

"Just turn on the first ten minutes of Up that should do the trick." He feels satisfied when she rolls her eyes at him.

/

"Piiiiickle!" Bayley yells, stretching her arms out so the german sheperd can jump up into her arms, his tail wagging in pure delight. "Your daddy told me no treats, boy, but maybe I'll sneak some into this prison next time."

"Yeah, yeah, he's truly suffering," Sami monotones. "Did you bring me my treat atleast? I'm the injured one."

Bayley pulls a jar of nutella out of her heavy bag hanging off of her shoulder. "Wouldn't dream of wasting your time without it."

"I'm going to have to run twice as long this week because of you damn it."

The dark haired woman takes a seat next to him on the couch. Pickle squeezes in between them, his tail thumping Bayley on her side hard enough to be uncomfortable.

"Its your fault for playing the 'I'm so helpless' card by the way. You picked the wrong person to do that with because I will comfort your sorry butt with food for weeks," she remarks.

"I need something to keep me going. It gets kind of old, sitting in my apartment watching my entire dvd collection over again. Completely forgot I own the crappy teenage mutant ninja turtle movies. Still crappy, if you're curious, but fun."

"You'll be hanging around the center more often though with your physical therapy," reminds Bayley with a sympathetic smile. "We've missed you, Sami. Its not the same pranking Sasha without you."

Sami is very grateful for her words. He was concerned - no matter how silly the concern may be - he would slowly fade from their memories. He knows Kevin is going to be around for him no matter what happens but there are plenty of new friendship he's made where they could easily cross him off of their friends list.

"How was today?" Bayley asks, digging out two spoons for their nutella. Sami happily grabs one for himself and they dig in.

"Good. My shoulder hurts from being so stiff, but I'm on the right track." Sami scoops some out with his spoon and contemplates a second beore adding, "Plus the girl is pretty cute."

" _Ooooohhhh_?"

"Oh no Bayley, don't use that tone-"

She repeats it, only longer this time. " _Ooooooooohhhhhhhh_?"

"Ugh. I knew I shouldn't have said anything."

"Don't sulk, Sami. Tell me her name. Maybe I can get her number for you."

"She's 20 at the most, Bayley. And she probably has a boyfriend," Sami mumbles around his spoon.

"And I probably won't get to eat half of this jar but damned if I don't think about the prospect. Did she seem interested?"

"I dunno. I invited her over after she mentioned she really hasn't done much in the last year but oddly enough, on the one day I do invite her, she has something with her family. So probably not." Sami feels a little foolish for feeling as rejected as he does. So what if she said no? So what if she's not interested? He barely knows her.

The thing is he would like to know her more. Thats what gets him.

"Probably nerves so she backed up. You should try and stop being so hunky, might've intimidated the poor girl." Bayley gives Pickles a few scritches around his ears and tries her best not to continue in this direction. But its been so long since Sami has shown any interest for a woman she wants to pounce on this chance.

She doesn't even have to try because her friend speaks up. "I think it might have been an anxiety thing. She got pretty nervous after her phone rang."

"I think we should ask Pickles his opinion. Pickles, do you think Sami deserves a chance at a love life? Don't say a single thing if you do." When the dog doesn't let out a single peep Bayley grins. "See? Pickles thinks you should try."

"You say that now but if I ever pay attention to anyone more than him he gets jealous. He separated us for a reason."

"Just try talking to her more, Sami. If it doesn't work out don't get discouraged. I know things are pretty crappy right now, but you've got me, Enzo, Sasha, and everyone at the center. We're here for you, okay?"

She reaches over and squeezes his hand that is holding the nutella jar as a comforting gesture.

"Don't try and grab the jar after this. I know you have ulterior motives." Sami holds it further away from her.

"Defeated yet again!"


	2. Chapter 2

Sami would be lying if he didn't admit to being a bit jealous of his friend Kevin Owens.

Kevin, much like Sami, has worked very hard to be where they're at. But along the way Kevin managed to secure an awesome girlfriend who then turned into a wife. She's the love of his life and they have two great children together.

You would think the jealousy would be about Kevin being in the main roster part time, probably moving to full time very soon. And while Sami does want the same thing he's not jealous, per se. Its something he's going to work hard to do and hopefully one day he'll be able to travel the same roads as the great wrestlers do.

But no, instead Sami's jealousy lies in having such a tight-knit family. Kevin has a wife and two kids waiting for him when he comes home. He knows theres heartache to go along with it. Being away from them is very hard for his best friend, but its something he can count on. Sami doesn't have that. He has Pickles who, while a lovely dog, can't exactly sit at a dinner table with him and partake in eating mahshi with him.

He's always put wrestling first. Making a name for himself has been his goal. Now that Sami Zayn is a well known name he wants to be able to share himself with someone. He hadn't really paid much attention to it until yesterday. It was something he never thought himself getting, if hes completely honest. After all, even when he wrestled as El Generico, women didn't usually flock to him. He's always been outgoing and was blessed with the gift of gab but women wouldn't stick around for long.

Sami wishes he could go back to being unaware of how empty his apartment actually feels.

/

After a nice day off of doing almost nothing - usual morning jog, breakfast, take Pickle's out for a walk, watch some movies, lunch, etc - he's actually looking forward to physical therapy the following day. It gives him something to do other than lounge around. He doesn't feel like going out and doing much (that could be just the sadness talking) so its a reprieve to be scheduled to do something.

Therapy 3 times a week is what he's scheduled for. As he gets ready for his session he makes sure to put on extra deodorant. He doesn't want Anika to think its a habit of his to leave his home smelling like a sweaty oddball.

His goal is to act normal. As normal as a man who used to dress up as a generic luchador and dance around can get, anyways.

When he gets to the performance center he actually notices Anika out in the parking lot. She's wearing pig tails today, making her look more youthful and making the 30 year old feel more like a weirdo for thinking its cute. He tells himself to just head inside. No need to talk to her now. Except as he gets closer he notices she's holding her glasses in one hand and wiping her eyes with the other.

Whether or not he finds a woman attractive has no bearing on how soft-hearted Sami Zayn is. If someone is upset or crying he's usually the first one to react with a gentle hug.

He crosses the parking lot, sort of hesitant in his steps. "Hey, Anika?"

Anika lets out a little gasp accompanied with a jump. She turns around and gives a nervous laugh when she sees Sami. "Oh gosh, sorry."

"Sorry for what? If standing in a parking lot is an offense I'm a felon because I've done that a lot in my time waiting for buses." He tries to catch her eyes but she's deliberately not looking up at him. The ground, the tree to their right, his injured shoulder. "No offense will be taken but if my face isn't something you don't like to look at. I can go dig up an old Generico mask for me to wear."

This actually gets a laugh out of her. She puts her glasses back on her face and says, "I just don't like eye contact sometimes. Your face is quite appealing, I assure you."

Sami smiles widely despite himself. "So I do have to ask, you okay? Anything I can do?"

Anika seems to hesitate, looking at him as though she's trying to judge if he actually means it or if he's only being nice. After a few seconds she says, "My cat disappeared last night. I think she got out a window or something, I don't know. I didn't see anything open but I don't know how she got out. I just-I know its only an animal but she is my best friend and she hasn't shown back up and-" She stops herself, new tears forming in her eyes which she's quick to brush away.

His heart breaks for her. "I have a dog so I know what you mean. They're not 'just animals' to a lot of people. Have you thought of putting up missing signs?"

"I'm going to after work today," She replies.

Even though he had told himself not to jump so quickly into things the first thing out of Sami's mouth is, "I could come and help you put them up. We could cover more ground quicker with two of us."

Her gratitude is immediate in the change of her face. "That would be great Sami. I would appreciate it so much. When we have our session I'll get your number so I can text you later when I have them."

With a smile and a nod he heads into the building, immediately coming across Sasha who is very excited to show him the new ring attire she's wearing.

"Looks great! Baby blue is a good color on you."

"I didn't know how it would look until I tried it on. I thought baby blue might send the wrong message since its such a soft color. The Boss can't be soft," Sasha comments with a smirk.

"I'm terrified of your authority no matter what color you're wearing. I assume the only reason you haven't pinned me where we stand is because of my shoulder, so thanks for that."

"If only matches were ever that easy."

Sami raises a hand in defeat. "If we ever have an intergender match I promise to lie down in the middle of the ring and accept defeat, Boss."

Sasha crosses her arms and looks him up and down. The red head give her a curious look. "I thought you looked more cheerful. I guess Bayley is right."

"Oh crap. What did she say to you?"

"Only that you have a tiny crush and seem happier for it. Didn't say who. I'd suspect it's me but thats really the case for everyone, isn't it?" She says, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a laugh.

"I'm going to make my escape before I can give you more gosspi to talk with Bayley about."

"Don't be a grump, Sami! I think its about time," the woman says as he walks away.

/

At the end of the therapy session his shoulder aches. Its still becoming used to not being in a sling twenty-four-seven. Add in all of the extra movement and it makes for one very unhappy body part. Even with such discomfort to deal with, Anika makes him smile with a joke here or a tease.

"Atleast you're wearing deoderant today," she remarked, taking a seat next to him. He notices she's more relaxed than the previous day, even with the news of her pet missing. Her body is angled towards him which is another good sign.

"I thought about cologne but I don't want to smell like Cassidy."

"I think he smells nice."

"For bathing in cologne, sure, but I'm not much of a cologne guy anyways."

"So what kind of guy are you?"

Sami wants to take this as a flirtatious question but her eyes seem to hold more of a genuine curiosity. He almost forgot she introduced herself as a fan of his work.

"I usually like to keep an air of mystery around me. I hang out in corners of rooms, cemetaries, outside of abandoned warehouses. I take all of my pictures in black and white to keep up that mysterious appearance."

"Mmhmm." Anika has an entertained look on her face. "I've seen you talk to everyone here. Everyone likes you, Sami. Even if you've been gone for two months people are happy to have you back in the building. I've only been here a couple weeks and I can see it."

The wrestlers face softens, enjoying hearing such a comforting thing from someone who has no real motive to say it other than she believes its true. Bayley tells him the same thing because she's one of his best friends. Enzo, Sasha, and Kevin have also said something along those lines. But as his friends Sami has to take it as part of them comforting him. Anika doesn't really know him, she has no reason to tell him comforting fiction.

"Thanks for that. Really. Its kind of been . . . a thing for me, wondering if I'll be forgotten." Sami looks down at his lap, not wanting to look her in the eyes as he adds, "Hopefully it isn't the case with the fans either. If someone stays out of the public eye too long they might fall between the cracks. Thats why I'm trying to do everything I can to get back in the ring."

"And you will. Theres no reason you can't in six months."

 _Too long_ is the first thing which crosses his mind. So, so long."Almost seems like forever. What if I get really fat?"

The young woman laughs. "I think you're one of those perpetually skinny people. Even when you put on a bit of weight you'd probably be what they call 'skinny fat'."

"Well I've eaten enough nutella in the last two months to reach such a status," he surmises.

Anika looks at her watch and then digs her phone out from her back pocket. From a quick glance he notices she has several missed calls - seven in total - and all of them seem to be from the same number. An emotion flickers across her face too fast for him to make a guess as to what it really was (Confusion maybe? or was that panic?) but she swipes them away quickly, apparently choosing to ignore them.

"Give me your number before you go. And don't forget to do your stretches tonight too. You didn't do them yesterday, did you?" Her voice is playful but also somehwat reprimanding. She hands him her phone for him to program his number in.

"No ma'am. Was too busy staring off into the distance while in a cemetary." He hands her the phone back, trying to hide his goofy smile.

"No matter how many times you try to convince me you're a loner I have proof otherwise."

Sami quirks an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"You got me talking to you. Been too anxious to talk to anyone and here you come with your jokes and extremely likeable personality. How dare you, Sami."

"I'll tone down the likeable bit as much as I can but its just so hard, what with all of the kitten saving I do. Not to mention volunteering to spend time with seniors and planting trees in my spare time-"

Anika does her best not to roll her eyes. She gives him a genuine smile and its something that makes his heart swell. He's not trying to supress his budding crush any more. Not when she smiles at him like that.

/

"Okay Pickles just practice with me here." Sami takes a deep breath and says, "Hey Anika! Me, Bayley and a couple of others are going to go to a karaoke bar this Sunday. Are you in?"

Pickles lies down on his side, still staring up at his ginger human who is contemplating if he really wants to try this. After all what they're doing is going to be emotional for Anika. She just lost a very dear animal who she doesn't know is alive or not. Perhaps asking her out for a (not)date isn't the best thing.

"Break character buddy, you're not Anika any more. What do you think? Do I ask? I mean, she could probably use time to take her mind off of things. I don't-" Sami stops and facepalms. "Ugh, look at me acting like I'm still in junior high. I'm thirty years old. I know its been a while since I've been in the dating scene but I'm-"

He hears a familiar ringtone coming from his pocket. Kevin.

 _6:04 PM: Heard you got a crush on a schoolgirl._

Sami grinds his teeth. Damn it Bayley.

 _6:05 PM: She's not a schoolgirl. She's atleast 20._

Sometimes, when Kevin wants to be especially annoying, he sends several texts at a time even when he could send one long text. This is one of those times.

 _6:06 PM: 20 you say? Thats practically an adult._

 _6:08 PM: Be sure to ask her parents if she can be out past 10. Angry dads are no fun._

 _6:09 PM: Will she spoon feed you?_

Sami texts back _Ha ha ha._

"Pickles, make a note to give Bayley a noogie of her lifetime once my shoulder heals up."

His ears perk up at his name and Sami can't resist kneeling down to give him a belly rub. With a sigh he gets back up to go fix himself something for dinner when theres a generic ring tone, signaling a phone number is texting him he doesn't know.

 _6:13 PM: Hey Sami its Anika. Are you available to come over?_

 _6:14 PM: Yeah sure. Whats your address?_

After she quickly texts it back he gathers his wallet and car keys. "Wish me luck, boy."

/

When he pulls into the driveway she's sitting on her deck reading a book. She looks up, excited, and wastes no time coming up to his drivers window with a stack of papers sticking out of her novel.

"Thanks again for this, Sami. I really appreciate it." The black haired girl steps back so he can exit his vehicle. "I didn't know if you've eaten yet so I have something to confess: I stuck some lasagna in the oven and its done. I thought you might want some energy first."

"That sounds great! I haven't eaten, I usually eat dinner around eight or nine even though I know I shouldn't wait so long. Is it made from scratch?" Sami questions as he follows her into the home. It's a nice, small house, with a mint green paint job and an off white door. "And do you own this place? Its so . . . quaint."

"Sure is made from scatch. My mom taught me when I was a kid. And no, I rent it."

He looks around her place. Its nice and tidy, for the most part, with a few t-shirts flung across the couch and a couple books on the floor. There are posters of several movies but what catches his eye is a poster of Wrestlemania 22 hanging in her kitchen.

"Why 22?" He asks, taking a seat at the small table when Anika gestures to it.

"Hm? Oh." Anika pulls the lasagna out of the oven and it smells absolutely wonderful. And it looks heavy on the cheese which is something Sami is all about. "Mick Foley versus Edge. It was the first Wrestlemania I went to and I was blown away."

"I can tell you like Mick Foley."

"He's my favorite wrestler of all time."

"Well he is the best looking out of all of us, really."

"I don't know. El Generico could give him a run for his money," she says with a laugh as she gets plates out of her cupboard.

Putting on his favorite terrible Spanish accent he says, "Si, El Generico numero uno best looking man."

Anika starts cutting up the lasagna and sets a plate in front of him, having given him a sizeable piece. He's sure he'll finish it off and eye the rest, silently wishing for seconds. She joins him at the table after getting them glasses of ice water.

She's avoiding looking him in the eyes, he can tell. A nervous habit of hers it seems.

They eat in relative silence. Sami wishes he could think of something to say but after being seemingly so happy Anika's mood appears to have dropped. He can see this cat means a lot ot her and as much as she tries to appear happy, in the back of her mind is her lost animal.

"I'll do the dishes," Sami offers.

"What? No! I'm repaying you."

"I haven't even done anything yet."

"So you think." Anika snatches up the plates before he can make a move.

After she's done they head out with missing posters in hand. At first they head in the same direction, each armed with heavy duty tape, but Sami eventually branches out into his own section. He memorizes the cat - kind of tubby, orange tabby, with a white dot above its nose - so if by some miracle he comes across it he knows what she looks like. Apparently her name is Jazzy.

When he runs out of papers he heads back to their agreed meeting place a couple blocks from her home. Sami sees her as he approaches, standing there nervously playing the the end of her ponytail. He takes notice of her clothes, this being the first time he's seen her out of professional work uniforms. Her style is very relaxed - fitted jeans, slip on shoes, and a nice black blouse. Cute and attractive are the first words to run through his mind.

"Hopefully someone finds her," Anika says when he's close enough to her. Her smile up at him is weak but hopeful.

Sami feels like reaching out and giving her a comforting touch on the shoulder but holds himself back. As much of a huggy person he is he does his best to contain himself around people he doesn't know especially well. Never know who _isn't_ a hugger.

On the way back Sami decides he is going to ask. If she really doesn't feel like it he won't push and he won't ask again for an outing, but if he doesn't ask he'll never know. So when they reach his car he says casually, "On Sunday me and some of the other wrestlers are going to a karaoke bar. I don't drink, but I go to listen to Enzo embarrass himself. Would you want to come?"

"I . . . I mean, yes, I would love to." Theres a shock in Anika's voice at the invitation, as though she never thought such a thing would be possible. "And for the record I don't drink either. We could be designated drivers if need be."

"I'll bring juice boxes for us."

Anika laughs. "Orange juice for me, please."

"Okay but only if I get to say 'orange you glad I didn't forget the juice boxes'."

"That was terrible and you need to go," she says between trying to contain her laughter and walking away.

On his way home Sami begins to wonder how in the world a nice, caring, pretty woman would be so self-conscious. What makes her think she's such an outsider? He does his best not to dwell on it too much. If everything goes well on Sunday hopefully Anika will begin to gain confidence.

In the mean time Sami can't help but notice theres been a car following him for the past five minutes or so. A nice, seemingly harmless red mercury, but its taking every single turn he does which has been quite a few on the way back just to see what its doing. Sami decides he's definitely not leading this car back to his apartment so instead he goes to the nearest mall parking lot, hurriedly locking his door and heading his way inside. The red car did follow him into the parking lot but he didn't see where he (or she) parked. Could just be a really weird fan but Sami likes to think his fans aren't this weird.

He gives it about ten minutes of wandering around before heading back out. Originally Sami was concerned someone was going to break into this car but he never took into account someone would take one of the little posters of Jazzy, crumple it up, and stick it under one of his windshield wipers.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: This chapter took a bit to get up for a few reasons but with any luck the next chapter shouldn't take so long to get just the way I want it. Sorry for the wait! Hopefully you enjoy it , let me know in a review if you are so inclined.

/

Sami knows theres no really good way to bring it up to her. Before rehab? Could make rehab awkward. During? Could stop the whole thing. After? He'd be thinking about it the entire time, probably changing what he'll say multiple times, to the point where when it actually comes out it won't make much sense.

When he walks into the physical therapy room he studies Anika carefully. She doesn't look Sami in the eye (nervous habit, he's come to conclude), she keeps rubbing at the skin of her left arm anxiously, her hair is in a messy bun, and her smile seems forced. He can tell something is bothering her and Sami's gut feelings also tells him it is connected to the red car. There's no way its a coincidence now. Anika knows something.

Sami decides to break into the discussion gently. "Have you gotten any calls about Jazzy?"

Anika shakes her head, messing with some weights for something to do.

Taking in a deep breath he says, "I had something weird happen the other day. After leaving your house."

This catches her attention. She looks up at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" Her voice is flat.

"I had a red car following me so I ended up driving into a mall parking lot so it wouldn't follow me home. I thought maybe it could have been a really strange fan but when I came back out . . . well, someone had taken one of the posters of Jazzy and put it under my windshield wiper. I don't know who this person was or why they would do that."

Anika closes her eyes and remains that way for a couple seconds. Sami begins to walk towards her, to comfort her but stops himself. She's clearly upset and trying to calm herself.

This also means she has an idea of who was in that car.

"Sami, we do need to talk. I just-please keep an open mind about me, okay? I don't want to scare you away and I'm sorry I didn't say anything before. I thought maybe he would finally get the hint-" Anika stops herself. Sami feels an all encompassing sympathy when she looks up at him, his desire to comfort her growing even greater.

"We should talk about this later though. I'll text you tonight. I still have to do my job here," Anika says quickly. Sami is thrown off by the sudden change.

"But why can't we do both?" Sami questions.

" _Please_ , Sami. Not now."

Anika sounds wounded and its breaking his heart. Sami had no idea bringing this up would generate such a reaction. Although he logically knows this isn't his fault he feels as though he's the one causing her this pain.

"Okay. But I want you to know that you can trust me, Anika."

She looks hesitant to accept his words. Sami guesses she's heard that line before and it hasn't worked out in her favor. So he'll have to show Anika he's a trustworthy person.

But first he needs to find out who this guy she talked about is.

/

 _5:06 PM: I've got about 392 things to do, but I want to see how my favorite cripple is doing._

Kevin never really has been one to be outright heartfelt. He cares but he has to make sure to insult you somewhere in there.

 _5:09 PM: Never been better. Scheduled to amputate my limb and replace it with a cyborg arm. Hopefully can afford to have it turn into a machine gun at will._

 _5: 14 PM: You'd never use it you're too nice._

 _5: 15 PM: True._

 _5: 17 PM: By the way if things don't work out with you and schoolgirl there are some ladies on the main roster who think you're pretty cute I've heard._

Sami isn't really sure what to think of that. There are some knockouts in the main roster. He's never considered himself ugly, but he knows he isn't Roman Reigns.

He texts back, _Are you telling them to back off and I'm yours yet again? Don't scare away the ladies Kev._

He's about to get up and take a shower when he gets a notification from Anika. It turns out to be a pretty long text.

 _I can explain everything if you would like to come over. Communication isn't my strong suit and we just met so I didn't think to tell you anything. I'm never going to be able to say it out loud, but I just wanted you to like me so I've been trying really hard to not say anything stupid. I go over everything twice in my head. You're a good guy Sami. If you decide to not come over or to not have me come out with you guys on Sunday I understand. This text is kinda a jumbled mess sorry don't know where I'm going with this._

So apparently Anika thinks hes second guessing their friendship already. He can't really say he's surprised, she doesn't seem to have the healthiest sense of self esteem. Sami can't really connect with her on that level. He's always been pretty confident, a people person, always sure of himself when he walks into a building. It's gotten him into some awkward spots in locker rooms when he's fresh on the scene, acting as though he's been there for years when in reality the other men are sizing him up.

The man hopes he can somehow help her though. Even if it's a shoulder to lean on he'll be happy to provide it; as long as it's his good one.

 _I'll be over in about in hour or so,_ he responds. Sami figures he'll leave everything else he could say until he sees Anika face to face.

/

Shortly after arriving she starts making them sandwiches. Sami would say he's not very hungry, but she seems to be lost in her own world, so he wanders off into the living room to study it further. The first time he was at her place he didn't get a chance to check out much.

Her DVD collection is minimal. Some wrestling stuff, but more action flicks than anything else. Sami guesses Anika isn't one to make a spur of the moment purchase. Which is a good thing because he isn't either. She has a xbox 360, a few games, and he's excited to note one of them is Rock Band. But most of shelf space is taken up by books, a lot of them books for tv shows. Anika does seem like the type to have her nose in a book most nights so he isn't really surprised. He'll have to remind her not to bring one on Sunday and to instead enjoy Enzo's unique renditions of The Police's songs.

Sami still intends to invite her no matter what she has to say. Unless what she reveals is the person in the car was part of her cult and she wants him to join, that might be a deal breaker.

"Here," she says, coming over and handing him a huge sandwich. "I didn't know what type of meat you like and I figured I might as well make it interested so . . . theres smoked ham, honey ham and oven roasted turkey."

"What? You couldn't fit roast beef on this monster? I'm offended."

Anika manages not to roll her eyes at him as they take a seat on the couch. She doesn't make a move to eat her considerably smaller meal until he starts grazing on his.

After a hefty swallow Sami says, "Tell me if I'm wrong here but I'm going to guess its kind of serious from the way you've been acting?"

The woman nods. "I'm just . . . We just met and I didn't think this would happen so soon."

"Describe 'this'."

"Sorry. I don't mean to beat around the bush. Um, well, the person in the car is my ex-boyfriend. Unless a psycho eerily similar to him decided to do something he would do and happens to drive a car like you described. It was a really bad break up. For him."

An ex-boyfriend who won't leave her alone? He's heard of things like this, but the thought would have never crossed his mind he would know someone affected by it. He hates how hurt Anika sounds, as though he's going to think less of her for this problem. He doesn't really get why she would think he'd judge her for this. Sure, the guy followed him, but Sami is pretty sure he can take care of himself even with an injury. Anika? Not so much. She doesn't look like she's taken a single defense class and would fold at the first sign of violence.

 _Which is probably a learned before_ , he sadly reminds himself. _If he's willing to break boundaries he was probably a terror to live with. She wouldn't break it off if he were the ideal boyfriend._

Sami's voice is very concerned as he asks, "So is he stalking you? Is he not leaving you alone?"

"Sometimes he does? I just changed the locks to the house because I didn't have enough money before. I've been pretty broke since he was the sole source of income when we lived together here. But before the locks changed he would come in and leave notes about how sorry he is, how he's getting better, blah, blah, blah."

Anika sets her sandwich on the couch and starts wringing her hands nervously. She keeps looking up at Sami as though she's waiting for him to do something. It takes him a moment to connect the dots, but he'd wager a guess she's waiting for him to lash out, or do something crazy. After all shes probably used to such a reaction from a guy.

"Anika, look at me, please," Sami says softly, careful not to make it sound like an order. More of invitation. When she does he continues, "I don't know why you would think this would change anything. At least, not what I think of you. When you're not all wound up you're fun to talk to which is why I still want you to come on Sunday."

The young woman seems to be genuinely surprised by this. It takes her a few beats to respond but when she does theres a hitch in her voice, as though she's willing herself not to cry, "I guess I figured he'd scare you away. Crazy ex-boyfriend isn't really something many guys will sign up for-n-not that I'm thinking Sunday is a date or anything I just-I figured-"

Sami laughs. "A date? Why would I want to go on a date with someone who's as pretty as you are, and who I just said I find fun to be around? I only date girls who roll around in mud and have the personality of rocks."

" . . . I mud-wrestled once."

"Did you win?"

The young woman smirks. "I slipped and accidentally elbowed her in the nose, breaking it. So I guess."

"I'm never wrestling you then, mud or no mud."

"But . . . that wasn't a joke? You would make Sunday an actual date?" Anika looks hopeful.

Sami can feel his heart beat quickly in his chest at the prospect. He doesn't want to seem too eager so he replies in what he hopes is a casual manner, "I want to get to know you better, so yeah."

Her wide smile gives him a burst of exhiliration. The fact she's excited makes him all the more happy he mentioned it. Even if the context of this conversation is glum.

"I do have to ask though, do you think he'll follow me again?"

"I can't promise he won't," Anika says tentatively. "I dated him for two years so I should know him pretty well but the truth is he's unpredictable. I broke up with him two months ago and for a couple weeks I never heard from him. Then he started back up just recently."

"Have you tried the police?"

She scoffs, shaking her head. "I've given up on them helping. He's never threatened me in text or with his notes, only verbally. And since I've never filed a police report on him before he has no record."

"I'm sorry Anika." Sami sets his sandwich aside and opens his arms. Anika doesn't fall into the hug as quickly as he would like, she seems to be unsure of the harmless gesture, but when she does her arms grip tightly around his waist. He runs his hand through her hair what he hopes is a comforting manner. "I'm going to be happy to have you join us on Sunday and so will everyone else. Try to forget about him."

Anika pulls away and looks up at him. She puts a hand on his cheek, smiling. Despite himself, he finds himself lean into the touch, her fingers tangled in his beard.

"You're not as nice as everyone says you are. You're somehow even _nicer._ Did you come out of the womb smiling and telling the doctor he did a good job?" She laughs, pulling her hand away much to Sami's dismay.

"Close. But I didn't talk, instead I started skanking."

She raises her eyebrows, perplexed.

"You've never skanked?" Sami questions, pretending to be mock-offended. "Well you're barely the first. Its a dance you do to ska music which I usually do with I theme."

He can see its finally clicked. "So thats what thats called. I wondered what the hell you were doing."

"People wonder that about me pretty often," Sami agrees with a laugh. "With my shoulder the way it is I can't do it as well as I'd like but I'll show you on Sunday how to properly skank."

The soon fall into a comfortable conversation about music, movies, and maybe going to see a movie next week when their schedules align. An hour passes before either of them bother to check the time.

"I have to be up early tomorrow so I'm gonna head out," Sami says. He regrets having to go, but he's going to the performance center in the morning.

"Got a big day planned?" She asks, following him to the front door.

"Gonna torture myself and watch everyone train. I miss it." He can't help the grief in his voice. With a heavy sigh he turns to her and adds, "But now I have a pretty distraction."

Anika makes a show of looking around the room.

"Have a good night Anika. You have my number if you need anything." He's pretty sure she gets the gist of his offer since eye contact is immediately broken. Still, she nods.

"Thank you Sami," she says softly as he leaves.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: A sincere thank you for everyone who has reviewed, favorited or followed so far.

And I would like to address two things: 1. I did consider writing Finn's accent but would find it difficult to keep consistent. I'm sure you all know what he sounds like!

& 2\. I know some other stories use the wrestlers real names mixed in with their wrestling personas but I don't like switching between the two. It feels too strange for me.

/

Since he's been a fan beginning at the young age of 5, Sami doesn't have any boredom watching his fellow wrestlers doing drills in the ring. He's just happy to be able to sit with the likes of Bayley, Charlotte, Big Cass, and several other gifted NXT superstars. He loves how dedicated they are and how hard they work. There isn't one person in the room with him who isn't passionate about the art of wrestling.

Sami had gone back and forth about coming. He expected to be a lot more heavyhearted since he can't join just yet. His entire life he's been about wrestling, and now he's so close to being in the biggest company of them all . . .

"I've never had so much quiet with you around. Or seen you sit so still," remarks one of his best friends, Finn, who takes a seat beside him at a bench. He's already sweating at almost 8 in the morning from an intense workout.

"Don't worry. I'll start clotheslining everyone just for something to do here in a few."

"Gonna break your other shoulder."

"Almost don't care. I don't like being out of the ring," laments Sami.

Finn gives him a sympathetic look. He knows this can't be easy for his friend, missing out on doing what he loves. Especially with the momentum he was building not only on NXT, but on RAW. Finn saw the challenge with John Cena. He had such great support behind him and he worked a great match with the mega star.

"You look like Pickle died."

"Well . . . I know how much you love wrestling," Finn replies. "We all do."

"I'm still alive and kicking though. Well, kicking as much as it won't affect my shoulder, but I can kick you in the shin or something. That hurts." Sami does his best to go back to a joking manner because he cannot take this sympathy. He knows it is coming from a good place - Finn is incapable of being anything but a kind, loving person - but he doesn't want to be viewed as powerless. Sami is well aware he'll have some ring rust he'll need to work on but it's not as though he's never been injured before. He can come back swinging.

Finn has been one of his best friends and apparently knows what's going through his mind. He puts a comforting hand on Sami's knee and says, "I don't pity you, Sami. None of us do, all right? We just hate that you can't join us right now."

"I know." Sami nods and leans back, looking at everyone working out. Sasha is in the ring doing bumps with Bayley, the two of them with intense looks on their faces, making sure each time they're doing the best they can.

He's happy for them. He's happy to be here. He's happy he has so many friends who still want him around.

Sami knows he'll get back to NXT when its time.

/

Having Bayley as a best friend is as much of a blessing as it is a curse. On one hand, you have a loyal, loving friend who would drop everything for you if you truly needed her. On the other hand, you have someone who wants to help so badly she isn't quite sure when to stop. She's never actually done anything to truly annoy Sami . . . yet. But if she doesn't stop bothering him to join her and Carmella for a movie night he's going to bang his head against a wall. So when she brings up the offer again during lunch at a buffet near the performance center he has to tell himself to take a deep breath before answering.

"I've told you a million times I'm not a rom-com kinda guy," He repeats himself, messing with his salad. He only added a tiny bit of bacon at the salad bar but it's the first thing he's eating because, well, its bacon.

"I know, but you spend so much time by yourself. I worry." Bayley has a sizeable plate of carrots in front of her and is happily munching away. Sami can't imagine eating that many carrots without atleast some ranch dressing. Its not human.

"I'm sure we can find some testosterone filled action flick," Carmella chimes in. She waves her fork in his direction when adding, "And I am not sayin' I'm watchin' one with an ugly hero. You pick out something will a good lookin' guy. I ain't sittin' through any more of those explosions with Steven Seagal. Enzo and Cass have already made me suffer enough."

Sami chuckles. "I assure you I don't own any Steven Seagal movies."

"For real though, you're welcome at my place any time Sami. It was good seein' you at the gym this mornin'," Carmella tells him, a sweet smile on her face. "Bein' in your house for so long can't be good."

"I don't stay there all day. I go for hikes and jogs. My fingers aren't permanently stained with cheetos, ya know."

"Yet," Carmella adds in a sing-song voice.

The red head rolls his eyes.

"So is the first week of rehab helping?" Bayley asks.

"Its too early to tell but I'm assuming, in the long run, its going to."

The blonde of the group smirks. "Pretty sure the girl is more help right now than the rehab."

Sami gives his best friend a pointed glare. She shrugs sheepishly at him.

"Is there anyone you haven't told? _Anyone_? Is everyone in this buffet going to question me about my personal life?"

Using her fork as a microphone Carmella puts on her best announcer voice to say, "The people want to know Sami, who are you sleepin' with? Do you prefer it with the lights off or on? And do you wear your old grandpa hat while doing it?" She then holds it in front of his face, all the meanwhile Bayley is trying not to choke on her meal.

"Que?"

She laughs, bringing her fork back. "I am _not_ having a conversation with Generico."

"El Generico numero uno! El Generico muy buen!"

"Ole!" Bayley joins in, always having enjoyed his terrible Spanish accent.

"I can't go anywhere with you two," Carmella remarks as the two start trading random spanish words back and forth.

/

"Its a date?"

"Yes, a date."

"Well why is your first date with a group of people? If you two start making out right in front of me I swear-" Sasha begins to say, hugging her cat to her chest.

"I'm a gentlemen! I wouldn't do that." Sami smirks. "Maybe."

"Well she has to sing a song. We all are-yes, even you Sami. Don't give me that look. And I should mention Snowball here isn't a big fan of vacuums so if you happen to vacuum in the next couple of days you might want to keep her in a closed off room."

Sami reaches out for the cat but Sasha appears to be holding her even tighter. The man sighs, saying, "I'm sure she'll be okay for a couple days without you, Sasha. Its you I'm more concerned about."

"You promise to text me pictures?" She questions, reluctantly handing her feline friend over. Snowball cuddles up right up to his chest, her head rubbing against his chest.

"I'll text you everything she does. Especially her using her litter box."

"Thanks for watching her while my apartment is fumigated." Sasha leans in and gives her cat a kiss on the head. "I hope Pickle doesn't mind. Did you ask him?"

Sami laughs. "Oh he said the usual. 'Bark bark, bark woof bark'."

"I brought her cat treats. She usually gets them at night," Sasha comments.

"Is that before or after you give her a massage and a mani-pedi?" He teases playfully. He sets Snowball on the floor who immediately starts sniffing around, apparently finding the couch very appealing. Pickle doesn't pay much attention to her from wher he lies a few feet away. "I never thought the Boss would be such a crazy cat lady."

"We all have our quirks. Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow. I'm gonna try and survive movie night with Bayely and Carmella."

"They suckered you into it, huh?" Sami finds her response of a glare very amusing.

Then Sami is left alone with a cat and a dog. He's glad for the extra company and wonders how Anika is doing with her search for her cat. He would send her a picture of Snowball - she is very cute, after all - but he doesn't want to make her miss Jazzy even more. Besides, from the looks of it if Sasha finds out Anika is a cat person she'll have many pictures on her phone to show off her pet.

Sami smiles as he leans down to give Snowball scritches behind her ear. Things are finally looking up.

/

Sami knows he's not making a first impression, but he feels like presentation is important. He wants to look good instead of throwing on whatever he happens to lay his hands on first when going through his dresser. Adrian always made fun of him for his "old man" style (not to mention his hat) but he likes to think of it as more of a . . . classy thing. Sami feels most comfortable in a light blazer or a button down shirt than he does a t-shirt.

When he reaches the bar he sees Anika standing outside, glancing at her watch. He's already early, figuring he would stay outside so she wouldn' t have to go in alone, but apparently not early enough. He has to take a minute to stare though: she's obviously dressed up, with her hair pulled back into a tight bun, and wearing a baby blue tank top with frills on the hem, with a long flowing white skirt.

She looks great.

He walks up to her, enjoying the immediate smile Anika gives him.

"You look amazing," Sami compliments her.

Anika's cheeks begin to redden but she manages to reply, "Thank you. You look . . . really, really good yourself."

"So is anyone else here?" He looks in the window but its already packed at nine at night. It's too difficult to spot anyone.

"I didn't go look. Bars aren't really my thing so I was gonna wait for a familiar face before going in," responds Anika. "But I'm glad its your face."

"What, is Enzo not your type?"

"I wouldn't be able to match his energy even if I were to do nothingi for a month straight."

Sami laughs. "I know what you mean. Training with that guy is like wrestling with a hummingbird."

Anika glances into the window, looking curious. "You said theres karaoke here? You sing in front of all of these people?"

"Well I'm sure the crowd will thin after a while. Besides, most of the guys and gals are too busy hitting on eachother to pay attention to my sultry vocals." Sami waggles his eyebrows at her.

"What a shame," she deadpans comedically.

"So are you not a big drinker?" He questions. Sami supposes he should have asked her beforehand but figured she would have declined if dead set against alcohol. "Or should I ask if you're even of drinking age, hmm? Where your ID?"

"I know I have a baby face but I'm 22!"

Sami figures he can overlook an 8 year age difference. Besides, its kind of flattering to have a younger woman think hes attractive. He tries not to look too proud of himself just in case she catches on.

"How old are you though? I mean, your clothes scream fifty."

"Does no one at the Performance Center think I dress just casual? Why am I such an old man to everyone? So a thirty year old likes sweater vests, they aren't that bad!" Sami says with fake outrage, putting his hands on his hips. Its then he sees two familiar faces walking their way and he waves them over. He notices Anika start to slip more behind him, as though she's kind of scared. He puts an arm gently around her waist to pull her next to him. "I know you might be nervous but you're here with me ok? Everyone likes you. Relax. And even if they don't I have my one good arm to convince them otherwise."

Anika leans into him, enjoying the feeling of his hand lying flat against her stomach.

"Hope we ain't disturbing you guys too much. You sure you don't want to go to the hotel down the road?" Enzo teases, looking at the two of them and Sami just knows hes going to make this night a living hell if given the chance. The teasing will be relentless. Luckily Carmella nudges him with her elbow giving him a 'would you quit?' look.

"Sorry Anika. He _is_ usually like this but I got some tranqulizers I can shoot him with if he gets too rowdy," Carmella tells her, and from the way she says it the other woman could swear she was halfway serious. "So where's Ms. Banks?"

"Probably just leaving the animal shelter because she's so cat deprived," says Sami. He gives a look around the parking lot but doesn't spot her car yet. "We should head in. I'm sure she'll have no problem shoving through everyone to find us. Its a great quality in her."

"Wasn't Bayley supposed to come too?" asks Anika quietly as they make their way in, as if she isn't quite sure she should talk or not. Sami almost doesn't hear her over the sudden barrage of noise from the open door.

"She'll be coming with Sasha. They apparently had a girl day today. I'm sure we'll hear all about it."

Time passes and the group is huddled at a large table in the back discussing sports (well, more like Sami and Enzo are, the two women have polite conversation about their jobs) when Sasha comes out of nowhere, slamming her hand down at the table to surprise everyone.

"Why aren't you guys singing, huh? I thought we came out to sing!" Sasha proclaims.

"Alright alright. If I'da known you was so intent on hearin' me belt out some Sinatra I woulda been doin' that until you got here," Enzo says raising his arms up in surrender. He gets out of his chair and heads over to sign up for his turn.

Sami decides since putting his arm around her waist went well to take a chance and put an arm around her shoulders. He makes sure to be a gentlemen though and not have his hand hover over her chest, but instead place it on her arm. She smiles up at him, once again leaning in to the touch.

She hasn't talked too much unless Carmella is prying answers out of her. Sami could take a guess and say she's more of a small group inside of a house person instead of a noisy bar where there are a lot of strangers. Or maybe Anika just isn't used to being out with friends. From the way she talked a couple days ago her ex probably prevented her from making any long lasting friendships.

"Do you want anything to eat?" Sami asks.

"No I'm good. Aren't you going to sign up for a song?"

"Mmmm, maybe. I'm still deciding. Is it against the rules of my physical therapy? Will I throw out my shoulder?"

"I don't have my books with me at the moment but I don't think any loud vocals should damage your shoulder unless you decide to throw your arms around at the big finish."

Sami shakes his head in a mock display of disappointment. "There goes my dream. Thanks, Anika."

Anika gives him a pat on the chest. "I'm here to help."

Because he's on a date Sami doesn't drink much alcohol, not to mention he's his own designated driver. There'll be opportunities to tell a drunken story or two at a later time. In the mean time he asks her about her life before Florida, careful to stay away from the dating questions for now.

"My parents are really great. They divorced when I was nine but if they ever argued afterward they never did it in front of me," Anika says to answer his query about family. "I have a younger sister who still lives with my dad. Are you an only child?"

"Yes indeed."

"You must have been spoiled then," she teases.

"I'm sure every kid got their own large room with a plasma TV and everything they could ever want. Didn't you?" He says playing along with her.

"I had two plasma TVs so if I ever wanted to lay on my other side i wouldn't have to turn my head uncomfortably." Anika takes a sip of her soda while enjoying the amused look on her dates face.

"You poor thing, you suffered terribly."

They sit through Enzo 'singing' Sinatra and then Sasha Banks doing a pretty good version of Starships. The time flies by and before they know it its approaching midnight. The group is staring to settle down since most of them have to be up very early the next morning. Sami wishes he had the same problem but he doesn't have to be up nearly as early as them. In a strange way he misses having to choose between staying another hour at a music gig or going home to get a decent nights rest for training.

Anika gives him a concerned look. "You look tired," she says.

Sami chuckles. "Yeah, probably am. Sasha's lovely cat doesn't like sleeping alone."

"She's clingy but is very huggable!" Sasha protests. Bayley pats her slightly drunk friend on the arm in a soothing manner.

"You have a cat at your place?" Anika's eyes widen.

Sami sees the opprotunity and takes it. "Yeah. You should meet her. That is, if you're not really tired."

"No. I always have time for cats! I miss Jazzy a lot and could use a good snuggle."

Sami looks around at his friends and says, "Well guys thanks for having us but we're gonna skedaddle."

"It's not even three in the morning!" objects Enzo as they get out of their seats.

Anika and Sami bid them all farewell as they go out into the parking lot. Sami tells her to just follow him back to his place before the part to their own cars. He's excited at the prospect of having a date in his apartment, though as he gets closer and closer to his place with Anika in tow he starts questioning if he cleaned up well enough. What if his dirty laundry is still in the living room? What if Pickle decided to leave a trail of toilet paper around the place again? The red head just grips his steering wheel tightly and hopes for the best.

/

Anika immediately bonds with Snowball. The cat loves the attention, digging her head into the womans neck while purring audibly. Sami gets a few scratches under the chin in as they sit on the couch. Pickle sits at their feet giving them their best 'why aren't you petting me' sad dog look.

"You're making Pickle feel like an outsider," whispers Sami.

She laughs. "He'll definitely get his turn. He is so cute, Sami. I can't believe we didn't have our first date here instead."

"I was afraid my dog would steal the spotlight. I can't beat that cuteness! Look at him, sitting there with his big eyes and fluffy fur coat! You'd rather pet him than me so I took you out to the bar first."

Anika gives Snowball a kiss on the forehead before setting her down on the floor. In an move Sami completely doesn't expect she leans in close to him, making direct eye contact and says, "Trust me, while your dog is very cute, he doesn't come close to how much I want to be near you."

Sami can feel his heart begin to race. He hadn't noticed it before but she has faint lip gloss on her lips, almost gone from having sipped from her glass all night, and he so _badly_ wants to kiss the rest of it off. With every sign pointing to 'kiss me' he makes his move, joining her in a soft and sensual kiss, until he is leaning over her and she is falling backwards onto the couch, their bodies then pressed up against one another. Her hands go from entwining his full beard to then grasping his hair.

Despite trying to not put as much weight on it as he possibly could his shoulder protests at being in such an awkward (and new) position of holding itself up. Sami gets into a kneeling position, holding his injured shoulder, giving her a regretful look.

Anika slides out from underneath him and put her hand on his bicep. "Does it hurt? Do you need to stretch?"

"That was _so_ not how I want that to go," Sami chuckles as he begins to do a stretch. The muscle still protests but he knows it'll begin to relax with movement.

"We'll have another date to continue doing that . . . right?" She sheepishly smiles at him.

Sami smiles widely in return. "If you want another date night you got it. I'm all yours any day this week."

"Lets go out for lunch tomorrow?" Its more of a question than anything. Part of him wishes she wouldn't be so nervous but he's willing to look past it right now.

"Of course. But first I have a rehab scheduled with this really great woman. I hope you don't get too jealous."

"Pickle, how do you put up with his dumb jokes?" Anika questions.

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Anika."

"I'm leaving before you say any more dumb jokes!"

"It'll only give me more time to think of some for tomorrow."


End file.
